Chapter 6: New Faces, New Foes

Kael pressed deeper into the woods, his mind still buzzing with the thrill of evolving his Sharp Senses to the Stream level. The heightened awareness made the world around him feel more alive, more tangible than ever before. But as the excitement of his newfound strength settled, another thought crept in—how much further could he go?

Hunting beasts would only take him so far, and although evolving talents was key to his growth, Kael knew that the real challenges would eventually come from people. Unlike beasts, humans were unpredictable, cunning, and far more dangerous in their own way. He would have to contend with more than just monsters if he wanted to rise to true power.

The forest began to thin as Kael reached the edge of a clearing. He paused, scanning the area with his enhanced senses. At first, everything seemed quiet. But then he picked up on something—a faint murmur of voices carried by the wind. They were close.

Kael moved cautiously toward the source of the sound, weaving between the trees until the figures came into view. Two men, both armed and dressed in worn leathers, stood by a small campfire. They weren’t villagers—Kael could tell that much from their appearance. Rough-looking, hardened by years of experience. Travelers, perhaps, or something worse.

He crouched behind a tree, listening carefully. His heightened senses allowed him to pick up their conversation with ease.

“…the beasts have been more active lately,” one of the men grumbled, poking the fire with a stick. “We’ll need to stay sharp if we’re gonna make it to the next village.”

“Don’t worry so much,” the other replied, his tone dismissive. “We’ve dealt with worse. Besides, I hear the baron’s men are hunting something big in these woods. Could be worth sticking around to see what kind of spoils they leave behind.”

Kael narrowed his eyes. These weren’t ordinary travelers—they were opportunists, possibly bandits. If they were here to scavenge the spoils of the baron’s hunts, it meant they were more than willing to take advantage of others. He could feel the tension in the air between them, and it wasn’t long before their conversation took a darker turn.

“What about the village up ahead?” the first man asked, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. “Easy pickings?”

“Maybe,” the other man mused. “But we’ll need to be careful. Word is, there’s been some new blood awakening with decent skills. We don’t want to get caught up with someone who’s stronger than they look.”

Kael’s grip tightened on the hilt of his sword. They were planning something—possibly targeting his village. He had no doubt these men were dangerous, but he wasn’t about to let them carry out whatever scheme they had in mind.

He couldn’t fight both of them head-on, not without knowing what they were capable of. But he had something that gave him an edge: God Eye.

Activating the skill, Kael focused on the nearest man. Information appeared in front of him:

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Name: Dran

Essence Level: Shard (Rank 4)

Talents:

— Knife Talent (Veil)

— Stealth Talent (Stream)

Kael’s eyes widened slightly. Shard, a fourth-rank essence level, much stronger than his Mote. And his talents were well-developed, especially Stealth Talent (Stream). Fighting him head-on would be a challenge.

Shifting his focus to the second man, the system displayed another screen:

Name: Beran

Essence Level: Pulse (Rank 2)

Talents:

— Strength Talent (Horizon)

— Endurance Talent (Veil)

Beran was weaker than Dran, but still formidable compared to Kael. His Strength Talent (Horizon) was nothing to scoff at, and combined with Endurance Talent, he’d be a tough opponent to bring down.

Kael weighed his options. He couldn’t take them both at once, especially not without knowing the full extent of their skills. But if he played his cards right, he could turn the situation in his favor.

Quietly, he circled around the clearing, positioning himself downwind so that neither man would pick up on his scent or movement. His enhanced senses allowed him to stay undetected as he approached the camp from behind. He knew he would have to create a distraction, something that would split them up.

Grabbing a small rock, Kael tossed it into the bushes on the opposite side of the camp. The sound of rustling leaves immediately caught the men’s attention.

“What was that?” Beran asked, standing up and drawing a large axe from his back.

“Probably just an animal,” Dran muttered, though he rose to his feet as well, knives flashing in his hands.

Kael took the opportunity to strike. With his enhanced speed and senses, he moved like a shadow, closing the distance between him and Dran in an instant. His sword lashed out, aimed at Dran’s unprotected back.

Dran’s instincts kicked in just before the blade struck. He twisted, bringing one of his knives up to parry the blow, but Kael had anticipated it. He shifted his weight, redirecting his sword to slice across Dran’s arm. The knife wielder let out a curse, stumbling back as blood flowed from the wound.

Beran turned at the sound, his eyes widening in shock as he realized they were under attack. He hefted his axe, ready to charge at Kael, but Kael was already moving. He couldn’t afford to let them regroup.

Dran lunged at him with his knives, using his Stealth Talent to blur his movements. Kael’s Sharp Senses (Stream) kicked in, allowing him to track Dran’s swift strikes more easily than before. He parried each blow, sparks flying as their weapons clashed. Dran was fast, faster than Kael had anticipated, but not fast enough.

With a sudden burst of speed, Kael ducked under one of Dran’s slashes and drove his sword into the man’s side. Dran let out a strangled gasp as the blade pierced him, his body crumpling to the ground.

Beran roared in fury, charging at Kael with his axe raised. Kael barely had time to pull his sword free from Dran’s body before Beran was upon him. The axe came down in a wide arc, and Kael threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding being cleaved in two.

Beran’s strength was terrifying, but his movements were slower than Dran’s. Kael used that to his advantage, staying out of reach as Beran swung wildly at him. He waited for an opening, letting Beran tire himself out.

Finally, the moment came. Beran overextended on a swing, leaving his side open. Kael darted in, slashing his sword across Beran’s exposed ribs. The larger man grunted in pain, staggering back, but still refused to fall.

Kael kept up the pressure, landing blow after blow, each strike weakening Beran further. The man’s strength was formidable, but he was no match for Kael’s speed and precision. With one final thrust, Kael drove his sword into Beran’s chest, ending the fight.

Both men lay dead at his feet, their blood staining the forest floor.

Kael stood over their bodies, panting heavily, his mind racing. He had done it—he had taken down two men, both stronger than him in essence and skill. The rush of victory coursed through him, but there was also a dark satisfaction lingering beneath the surface.

Then, the prompt appeared.

[Enemies Defeated: Dran, Beran]

Do you wish to copy the following talents:

— Knife Talent (Veil)?

— Stealth Talent (Stream)?

— Strength Talent (Horizon)?

— Endurance Talent (Veil)?

Kael’s eyes scanned the options. These talents were powerful, and copying them would give him a serious edge. He knew he needed to be smart about which talents he absorbed, especially since they could open up entirely new possibilities.

“Copy Stealth Talent (Stream),” Kael whispered.

Another wave of energy surged through him as the talent integrated into his own. He could feel it—the newfound ability to move with greater precision, to blend into shadows, and avoid detection. This would be a valuable asset in future battles.

Kael glanced at the other talents. Strength Talent (Horizon) would be a huge boost in physical power, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to rely too heavily on brute force. He still had room to evolve Endurance Talent, and perhaps Knife Talent (Veil) would complement his fighting style.

With a sense of calm, Kael made his decision and turned away from the bodies. There would be more fights ahead—more challenges, more enemies, both human and beast. But now, he was prepared for both.

And this was only the beginning.